


End of the Line

by Navakai, Southern_Natter



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, End Game Hurt a lot, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, One-Sided Attraction, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Self-Esteem Issues, Slow Burn, Soul Stone (Marvel), Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Top Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-28 23:57:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20072737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navakai/pseuds/Navakai, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Southern_Natter/pseuds/Southern_Natter
Summary: Till the end of the line.Those words haunted Bucky after Steve left him behind in the modern world. He was glad Steve was able to find his own happiness, but it still didn't hurt any less. Hope seemed to be out of Bucky's reach - until the Soul Stone appeared in his dream one night and offered him a new life, a new beginning, and a chance to be with his best friend again.





	End of the Line

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of these characters - they belong to Marvel.
> 
> Okay, this may or may not be my first time writing a fanfic, so please bare with my sub-par writing and planning of this fanfic in general. Also excuse any horrible spelling or grammar errors ;-; The tags will probably change as I update this fanfic over time. Don't hesitate to leave any feedback and/or concerns regarding the tags or for the story. My username on Tumblr is siegemustache if anyone wants to add me or wants to talk in general. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> \- Navakai <3

_ "I'm with you till the end of the line." _

Those words haunted Bucky constantly since Steve left him behind.

He tried so damn hard to push down the bitterness that seemed to swell in him as days flashed by at the Avengers Compound. The others tried to invite him to dinner, movie nights, and etc - but he never went. Bucky couldn't stand the way they looked at him, almost as if he was a ticking time-bomb. But who could blame them? After all, he was the Winter Soldier. Someone who has killed so many innocent people in cold blood. Pepper welcomed him to the Compound with open arms after Tony's funeral and tried hard to make him feel at home, but even she seemed to hesitate around him. She must have seen the surveillance video of Howard and Maria Stark’s murder.

_ She knows you’re a monster._

One of the few people that didn't make Bucky feel like a freak was Sam. Despite the fact he always declines the man's invitations to hang out - Sam always shows up with a shit-eating grin. Bucky snapped at him the first few times he did this, but Sam would always ignore him and casually walk into his apartment with little to no shame. 

Sam stops by his apartment nearly every night now with some beer, food, and a random movie from his collection. It took several days for Bucky to gather the nerve to ask him why he was hanging around him so often.

“You look like you need a friend by your side,” Sam replied with a shrug.

After that, it was easier to open up to Sam about how he felt.

“I shouldn’t feel bitter about him going back,” Bucky said with a frustrated sigh, “After all, he lived a happy life with Peggy.”

“You can’t help how you feel,” Sam walked back to the couch with another beer, “I mean, you guys were friends for a long time.”

Bucky leaned back in his armchair with a grimace,

“Still, I feel like a child throwing a tantrum every time I think about it.”

The two of them sat in silence as _ Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas _played on the screen. Buck scrunched his nose in confusion at the weird scene unfolding in the movie, Sam had weird taste.

“Do you hate her?” 

The question startled Bucky from his thoughts.

“_Excuse _ me?”

“Do you hate her?” Sam asked again with a raised brow.

“Peggy Carter? Nah,” Bucky scoffed, “How could I? Without her, a lot of people would’ve died.”

It was true. Bucky probably would’ve been under Hydra’s control earlier, the soldiers from the 107th Regiment would’ve been killed or experimented on, and the Howling Commandos wouldn’t have been a thing. That, and she gave Steve the confidence he needed to push back any self doubt he had from before the serum. She was a one-of-a-kind dame. 

“Ah, so envious,” Sam smirked.

“What?” The confusion on Bucky’s face just made Sam laugh.

“Nothing,” Sam shook his head with that stupid smirk on his face before standing up to stretch his back, “I should start heading out - need to get up early for a VA meeting.”

“Not going to finish this ridiculous movie?” Bucky gestured to the screen as the movie continued to play weird, flashy scenes.

“Hey! It’s a classic!” Sam threw his hands in the air dramatically, “I’ll let you continue watching, just make sure to give it back.”

"Yeah, because I'm going to be _so_ eager to keep this movie."

A middle finger was Sam's only reply as he left Bucky's apartment. The grin fell from Bucky's face once the door shut. He was alone again. Bucky was quick to turn off his TV and make his way back to his bedroom. The full-length mirror in the room made him pause in shock. Dark bags were prevalent under his eyes, his hair looked like a tangled, greasy mess, and his clothes were horribly wrinkled. God. No wonder Sam was keeping a close eye on him, he looked like a disaster. Now that he was aware of how messy he looked, Bucky made his way to his bathroom instead of his bed. When was the last time he took a shower? Running his fingers through his hair, a disgusted look flashed on his face. Must have been awhile. Bucky turned on the shower to a high temperature and quickly stripped from his clothes. The hot water melted the tension from his muscles.

"God," Bucky groaned, "Friday? Can you nag me the next time I skip out on showering or bathing in awhile?"

"Of course, Sergeant Barnes," the AI's amused reply echoed in the bathroom. 

Can AI's be amused? Knowing how smart Tony was, it wouldn't surprise him if it was possible.

Tension immediately ran up Bucky's spine at the thought of the deceased man. The day he died was still clear-as-day to Bucky. The way Peter broke down as he told his mentor that they won, the way Pepper clung onto her husband, and the way everyone felt defeated in some way despite winning the battle. Anxiety ramped up inside of Bucky as he quickly finished his shower. He wished he was able to tell Stark just how sorry he was for his parent's death and how much regret he had when Steve and Tony tore each other apart over him. Exhaustion hit Bucky hard as he took out a plain black hoodie from the closet and a pair of sweatpants. He barely pulled the comforter over him before his eyes slid shut and he drifted to sleep.

When Bucky opened his eyes again, he wasn't in his room. The ex-soldier stood up quickly and positioned himself into a defensive stance.

"What the fuck?" Bucky breathed out as he looked around.

The world around him had a soft, orange glow to it and there seemed to be nothing around him. Why the hell did this place look so familiar?

Wait.

"No," Bucky felt terror run through him, "No, not again."

The soul stone. He was in the soul stone again.

"_Do not be afraid_."

Bucky turned his head towards the voice and saw a green-skinned woman stand a few feet from him. Like the world around them, there was a soft golden glow to her being and her eyes glowed like embers.

"Who the hell are you?"

"_You know me as the Soul Stone, but this vessel's name was Gamora_."

A hysteric laugh left Bucky as Gamora tilted her head slightly at his reaction.

"_Did I say something funny_?"

"Holy shit," Bucky rubbed his hand over his face, "I've finally gone insane."

This only seemed to confuse Gamora further, "_You're perfectly sane."_

"Yeah, sure," Bucky scoffed, "Then how the hell am I here? The stone from this reality was destroyed and the other was sent back."_  
_

The moment Bucky blinked, Gamora was replaced by Natasha.

"_Doesn't matter_," Natasha shrugged, "_All the stones are connected across realities_."

Bucky had to force himself to stop staring in awe at his ex-student.

"Why am I here?" Bucked finally asked.

"_I want to give you an offer_," Natasha smiled.


End file.
